Patricia Polacco was born on July 11th, 1944 in Lansing, Michigan. Her mother’s family were Jewish immigrants from Russia and The Ukraine. Her father’s people were from The County of Limerick in Ireland. Both cultures valued and kept their history alive by storytelling.

Patricia Polacco tells warm family tales drawn from her own childhood among an extended immigrant family of grandparents and cousins. Patricia Polacco remembers listening to the elders in her family tell how things were. Now she is the one who passes down family stories in the over 115 books she has written and illustarted! In many of  Patricia Polacco’s books we become familiar with the main characters, events, use of language, illustrations and  learn how to recognize a good story!

In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Patricia Polacco talks about writing and illustrating and the passing down of family history.

In library this week we will read, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother. As writers, we will use Patricia Polacco’s writing as a model and inspiration for our own character study and realistic fiction writing. Patricia’s grandmother, Bubbie tells us,  ” Of course is true, but it might not have happened!”

Listen to My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother read by Melissa Gilbert.